Bureaucracy has a way of delaying projects, often demanding approval for planning, funding, and permits. In the Czech Republic, an unexpected source circumvented this red tape.
For seven years, the Czech government had plans to build a new dam in the Brdy region and, though successfully securing necessary funds, the project stalled as authorities struggled to obtain building permits. Efforts ground to a halt, until beavers took matters into their own paws.
One January morning, officials woke up to discover that the dam had been completed by eight beavers. Not only had these beavers built the dam in almost the same spots that humans had originally planned construction, but they effectively saved Czech leadership 30 million korunas (about $1.2 million).
“[Beavers] built the dams without any project documentation and for free,” says Bohumil Fišer, Brdy’s Protected Land Administration (PLA) chief.
The Brdy dam was intended to restore the area to its natural state, decades after the Czech military built a bypass gully that drained its surroundings. Since the beavers constructed the dam, officials have already noticed significant environmental improvements.
“We are already seeing the emergence of a small pond and surrounding wetland there,” the PLA says in a statement.
As semi-aquatic rodents, beavers rely upon dams as sources of food and protection, creating the structures through rocks, mud, and wood. These wetlands, or “beaver ponds,” serve a myriad of functions throughout their ecosystems, whether it be controlling floods and drought conditions, improving water retention, or enriching habitats. In fact, Czech officials have already noted that rare species have returned to the area, including stone crayfish and native amphibians.
“Beaver wetlands are a paradise for many animals and plants. They are stable ecosystems that contribute to the diversity of our landscape,” the PLA continues. “Beavers are returning the landscape altered by humans to its natural beauty.”
Though humans require permits, beavers do not—and, in the end, they got the job done, much to the Czech Republic’s relief and, most of all, gratitude.
When a dam construction project stalled for seven years in the Czech Republic, eight beavers took matters into their own paws.
Large European beaver dam near Olden, Jämtland, Sweden. (Photo: Lars Falkdalen Lindahl, via Wikimedia Commons, GNU Free Documentation License)
These beavers built the dam in almost the same spots that humans had originally planned construction, saving Czech leadership about $1.2 million.
Sources: Beavers build planned dams in protected landscape area, while local officials still seeking permits; These eager beavers saved the Czech government $1.2 million; Beavers finish seven-year dam project in two days
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